This invention relates to an electrical connector for use in electric and electronic appliances, servers and the like, and more particularly to an electrical connector which can be easily mounted on a panel, particularly, in a floating manner.
A hitherto used electrical connector will be explained. FIG. 4 illustrates a prior art electrical connector in a perspective view. The electrical connector 50 includes a housing 52, a required number of contacts held and fixed to the housing 52, and set screws 70 and nuts 74 for fixing the housing 52 to a panel 64. The housing 52 is provided at its lengthwise ends with flange portions 56 each of which is formed with a through-hole 58 through which the set screw 70 passes.
In order to mount the electrical connector 50 onto the panel 64, after the fitting portion of the housing 52 has been fitted in a fitting opening 66 of the panel 64, the set screws 70 are inserted from the extending side of the fitting portion of the housing 52 into engaging apertures 68 of the panel 64 and the through-holes 58 of the flange portions 56, and the nuts 74 are then threadedly engaged and tightened onto distal ends of the set screws 70 extending from the through-holes 58 on their rear side. Each of the set screws 70 includes a positioning portion 72 having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the engaging aperture 68 of the panel 64. A floating mounting of the electrical connector on the panel 64 is accomplished by clearances between the engaging apertures 68 of the panel 64 and the positioning portions 72 of the set screws 70.
With the above construction of the connector of the prior art, the set screws passing through the panel and electrical connector must be threadedly engaged with the nuts and tightened thereby during holding the electrical connector to the panel. Such an operation would be troublesome and time-consuming.
In order to mount the electrical connector onto the panel, moreover, at least two set screws and two nuts are required to increase the number of parts, causing their management cost and hence manufacturing cost to increase.
With this electrical connector of the prior art, furthermore, the engaging apertures 68 of the panel 64 are circular, while the set screws 70 have the cross-sectionally circular positioning portion 72 so that the floating amounts (clearances) are substantially the same in directions X and Y shown in FIG. 4. Consequently, it is impossible to adjust the floating amount in one direction according to a specification of an appliance.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved electrical connector which is able to be easily and simply mounted onto a panel without increasing its manufacturing cost to eliminate all the disadvantages of the prior art described above.
In order to achieve this object, in an electrical connector including a housing and a required number of contacts held and fixed in the housing, according to the invention the housing comprises at least one projection on each of surfaces defining its thickness, a block formed integrally with or separately from the housing and formed with a through-hole in its one flange portion, and a fixing pin to be inserted into the through-hole of the block for mounting the electrical connector onto a panel in a floating manner.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fixing pin is in the form of a plate-shaped piece and the through-hole has a substantially rectangular cross-section, and one projection is provided inside the through-hole and two notches are provided in the fixing pin. In this manner, the electrical connector can be mounted onto the panel to adjust the floating amount in one direction depending upon the specification of an appliance using the electrical connector.
Preferably, a pair of projections are provided inside the through-hole and two pairs of notches are provided in both lengthwise edges of the fixing pin. In this manner, the fixing pin can be stably fitted in the through-hole with a great certainty.
In another preferable embodiment of the invention, the notch (notches) near the forward end of the fixing pin engages the projection (projections) in the through-hole prior to the mounting of the electrical connector onto the panel, and the forward end of the fixing pin is in a fitting opening of the panel and the notch (notches) remote from the forward end of the fixing pin engages the projection (projections) in the through-hole after the electrical connector has been mounted on the panel, thereby preventing the fixing pin from removing from the through-hole.
Preferably, the block is larger than the housing to produce a surface of the block resulting from the largeness, thereby mounting the electrical connector on the panel with the at least one projection on each of the surfaces of the housing and the surface abutting against a surface of the panel. The panel is embraced between the projections and the surface of the block abutting against the panel to facilitate the mounting of the electrical connector on the panel.
The housing is provided at its both lengthwise ends with guide means for positioning the electrical connector relative to a mating connector. With this arrangement, the electrical connector can be connected to a mating connector in a reliable manner even if the electrical connector is mounted on the panel in a floating manner.
In a further embodiment of the invention, after the projections of the housing have been fitted in a fitting opening of the panel, the housing is moved into a direction opposite to the side of the through-hole, and thereafter the fixing pin is inserted into the through-hole so that the forward end of the fixing pin enters the fitting opening, thereby mounting the electrical connector on the panel in the floating manner with the aid of clearances between the fixing pin and the fitting opening of the panel.
After the housing has been inserted in the fitting opening of the panel, the housing is moved along the panel in the direction opposite to the side of the through-hole (in the direction C in FIG. 1), thereby embracing the panel between the protrusions and the surface of the block produced by the largeness of the block.
Before mounting the electrical connector on the panel, the notch (notches) near the forward end of the fixing pin engages the projection (projections) in the through-hole, and after the electrical connector has been mounted on the panel, the forward end of the fixing pin is in the fitting opening of the panel and the notch (notches) remote from the forward end of the fixing pin engages the projection (projections) in the through-hole to prevent the fixing pin from removing from the through-hole, thereby preventing the electrical connector from moving away from the panel.
The electrical connector having the subject features of the invention can bring about the following significant effects.
(1) According to the invention, the electrical connector can be easily mounted onto a panel only by inserting the fixing pin into the through-hole of the block of the electrical connector and can be supported on the panel in a floating manner with clearances between the fixing pin and a fitting opening of the panel.
(2) According to the invention, audible and/or tactile clicks are produced when the fixing pin is inserted into the through-hole so that an operator can ascertain whether the fixing pin has been reliably fixed in the through-hole.
(3) According to the invention, the electrical connector can be fixed to a panel only by one fixing pin so that the number of parts are reduced to cut down the costs such as manufacturing cost, management cost and the like in comparison with the prior art.
(4) According to the invention, the electrical connector can be easily and simply mounted on a panel only by pushing the fixing pin in one direction without holding the electrical connector and set screws and nuts which would otherwise be required.
(5) According to the invention, the fixing pin is a substantially plate-shaped piece and formed with at least one notch, and the through-hole for receiving the fixing pin has a rectangular cross-section and provided therein with at least one projection. Therefore, the electrical connector can be easily mounted on a panel so as to permit the floating amount of the connector to be adjusted relative to the panel in one direction depending upon a specification of an appliance using the connector.
The invention will be more fully understood by referring to the following detailed specification and claims taken in connection with the appended drawings.